A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.A Great Winged One will soon arise and cast his fearsome shadow upon
the land. And just as Night slays Day, and Day slays Night, so also
shall another Black Witch rise to meet him, her powers vast beyond
imagining.So foretells the greatest prophecy of the Gardnerian mages. Carnissa
Gardner, the last prophesied Black Witch, drove back the enemy forces
and saved her people during the Realm War. Now a new evil is on the
horizon, and her granddaughter, Elloren, is believed to be Carnissa’s
heir—but while she is the absolute image of her famous grandmother,
Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical
ability above nearly all else.When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of
becoming an apothecary, Elloren is eager to join her brothers at the
prestigious Verpax University and finally embrace a destiny of her own,
free from the shadow of her grandmother’s legacy. But she soon realizes
that the university, which admits all manner of people—including the
fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians—is
an even more treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.

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I’m facing an audience of three young women—the University scholars Aunt Vyvian has chosen to be my companions for the day. They sit staring at me with rapt attention, waiting for my answer.

To the most embarrassing question I’ve ever been asked.

Inappropriate, personal questions like this were not acceptable in Halfix, and I inwardly draw back from them in discomfort.

It’s early on my first morning in Valgard, and we are in Aunt Vyvian’s carriage, headed toward the shop of the premier dressmaker in Gardneria. The ride is smooth, the carriage surrounded by twelve armed, high-level Mage soldiers.

Twelve.

Charged with protecting Fallon Bane—our next Black Witch. Aunt Vyvian might not want to believe that she’s the one, but it’s clear from our armed escort that most other Gardnerians don’t agree with this view.

Fallon is, by far, the most intimidating young woman I’ve ever met. She’s beautiful, with full lips, curly black hair down to her waist and large eyes that shine with the whole spectrum of green. But everything else about her flies in the face of convention. For one thing, she’s dressed in a military apprentice uniform modified for a female—the traditional slate-gray silk tunic over a long, gray skirt instead of pants, and marked with a silver Erthia sphere embroidered over her heart. And the arms of her uniform are marked with a Level Five Mage’s five silver bands. Fallon watches me, her legs splayed open, aggressively taking up as much room in the carriage as possible.

She’s the one asking the questions, a slightly contemptuous smirk on her face. My obvious discomfort, given away by the blush I feel forming on my face, seems to greatly amuse her.

“Why are you asking me about Gareth Keeler?” I ask Fallon defensively.

“Your aunt says you know him.”

“I do,” I tell her. “He’s my friend.”

Fallon shoots sly, sidelong glances at both Echo and Paige before setting bright eyes back on me. “Have you looked closely at his hair?”

I bristle, my view of Fallon quickly coalescing into a hard ball of dislike. “His hair is black.”

I struggle to keep my expression neutral, greatly put off by her intrusive behavior. “Of course not. I’m unfasted.” And not in the habit of throwing myself at young men, unlike you.

Fallon flashes a devious look at Echo, which sends my dislike of Fallon flaring higher. Then she turns her mischievous gaze back on me, her tone thick with condescension. “You’re not in the backwoods anymore, Elloren. It’s okay to kiss a boy.”

Echo purses her lips at Fallon. “Some of us have morals,” she chastises. “Even in Valgard.”

Fallon spits out a disdainful laugh and rolls her eyes at me, like I’m an old chum.

Echo’s regarding me now, with serious, owl-like eyes, as if measuring my worth. She’s garbed in the manner of the most religious Gardnerians, her black tunic double-layered and very high in the collar, a small Erthia sphere hanging from a silver chain around her neck, her hair unadorned and parted straight as a pin.

I remember my aunt’s gushing praise of Lukas Grey, the prospective fasting partner she seems to want most for me. I’m amused that Aunt Vyvian actually thinks I could compete with Fallon Bane for anything—and win.

“He’s really handsome,” gushes Paige, “and his father is the High Commander of the entire Mage Guard. He comes from a very important family, and he’s a Level Five Mage.”

Fallon is watching me closely, a gloating look on her face, like she’s won some prize.

“When are you getting fasted to Lukas?” I ask.

Fallon’s smile freezes, and she narrows her eyes at me. “Soon. Very soon.” There’s warning in her inflection. Stay away from Lukas. He’s mine.

I wonder why she’s so insecure about him, and whether or not she knows Aunt Vyvian ludicrously wants him for me. I find myself even more curious about my aunt’s party, if only for the chance to meet the mysterious Lukas Grey. My eyes are drawn to the wand that sticks out from Fallon’s belt like some great thorn.

I can tell by the incredulous looks Echo and Paige throw her that she’s being wildly sarcastic.

“I’ve never seen magic used,” I tell her.

Her feral smile inches wider. “You’ve no magic, then?”

I shake my head, bothered by the gloating look on her face.

In one smooth, deft movement, Fallon pulls out her wand, holds it straight up and murmurs a spell.

A loud crack sends Echo, Paige and me recoiling back against our seats as a flash of blue light bursts from Fallon’s wand. The sound jars me to the bone, and I gasp as the light quickly coalesces into a whirling, glowing sphere that floats just above the wand’s tip, its rhythmic, deep whoosh a jagged scrape to my ears, the carriage rapidly cooling, frost forming on the windows.

“Stop it, Fallon,” Echo snaps as she glares at Fallon with annoyance, all of us cast in sapphire light. “You’ll freeze us to death.”

Fallon lets out a contemptuous laugh but relents. She murmurs more strange words and the iceball instantly morphs into a roiling, white vapor that quickly explodes into a frigid, odorless mist and disappears.

Fallon sits back and grins, a triumphant gleam in her eyes.

“That’s amazing,” I breathe, swallowing hard, fighting back a shiver.******

Like what you read so far? Buy the bookhere, and don’t forget to pre-orderbook two inThe Black Witch Chronicles, The Iron Flower, on sale next month!

Laurie Forest lives deep in the backwoods
of Vermont where she sits in front of a wood stove drinking strong tea
and dreaming up tales full of dryads, dragons and wands. THE BLACK WITCH
(Out Now – Harlequin TEEN, Book One of The Black Witch Chronicles) is
her first novel, and WANDFASTED (THE BLACK WITCH prequel, Out Now –
Harlequin TEEN) is her first e-book novella. Coming in 2018 are THE IRON
FLOWER (Sept. 2018 – Harlequin TEEN, Book Two of The Black Witch
Chronicles) and LIGHT MAGE (Spring 2018 – Harlequin TEEN, e-book
novella).